Intel Core i5-4460 vs Intel Core i7-6700K

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   Perhaps you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a decision after reading the detailed tests Intel Core i5-4460 vs Intel Core i7-6700K and understand which is better for games or normal use for video editing, rendering, programming, streaming, machine learning. Here you can find all information from several benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A step-by-step analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in special testing software like AIDA64, Furmark, Gears 5, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Prime95, PCMark 10, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Blender, PassMark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), UserBenchmark, Dolphin Emulator, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, MATLAB, Handbrake, WPrime, 7zip, VeraCrypt, Blender, 3DMark, RealBench, SuperPi.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Last Man Standing
Rainbow Six Siege
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Halo Infinite
Valorant
Cyberpunk 2077
Death Stranding
Overwatch
DOOM: Eternal
Fallout 76
Watch Dogs Legion
Valheim
Red Dead Redemption 2
Borderlands 3
Grand Theft Auto V
Apex Legends
Fortnite
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-6700K or Intel Core i5-4460.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Core i5-4460

51%

Core i7-6700K

52%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i7-6700K is 1% better than Core i5-4460. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-4460

51%

Core i7-6700K

53%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. And of course, this is a server processor, on which no one will play games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a little game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of other games in which processors were compared: PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Half-Life: Alyx, Monster Hunter World, Ghostrunner, NBA 2K20, League of Legends (LOL), Forza Horizon 4, DOTA 2A, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Battlefield V, Microsoft Flight Simulator, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Hitman 3, Metro Exodus, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Control, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Horizon Zero Dawn.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	91.0	93.6
Valorant	103.4	106.4
Cyberpunk 2077	57.9	59.6
Apex Legends	97.2	100.0
Call of Duty Warzone	77.6	79.8
Overwatch	83.8	86.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	71.4	73.4
DOOM Eternal	51.7	53.2
Warzone	80.7	83.0
Assassin's Creed	86.9	89.4
Valheim	85.8	88.3

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The computers that were in the comparisons not only did they have different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 4K, 2K or FullHD. So the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. You will get more accurate information about how powerful the processor will be in games, if you get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i5-4460

34%

Core i7-6700K

45%

To make a final resolution on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. The newer the processor generation, the better its performance in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i7-6700K is more energy efficient than the Core i5-4460 as it consumes less power: 84W vs. 95W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need to know its TDP. You need to buy a cooler that has the TDP data specified in the specification was greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

For example you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, streaming, video rendering or video editing, programming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum performance, the CPU uses all threads and cores that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that the program that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that can use only one core to run, and all the advantages of multi-core mode turns out to be unnecessary.
Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i5-4460	Intel Core i7-6700K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	132	180
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	477	888
Cinbench 20 Single-core	325	421
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1177	2059
Cinbench 23 Single-core	714	1124
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	2716	5640

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i5-4460	Intel Core i7-6700K
Single-Core	1877	2556
Multi-Core	4794	8984

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i5-4460	Intel Core i7-6700K
Single-Core	881	1308
Multi-Core	2955	5516

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. The newer the processor, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in the newest games. The economy are obvious! It turns out that you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i5-4460	Intel Core i7-6700K
Announcement date	April 01, 2014	April 01, 2015
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	LGA1150	LGA1151
Core name	Haswell	Skylake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	4	6
Turbo Frequency	3.4 MHz	4.2 MHz
Frequency	3.2 MHz	4 MHz
Cores	4	4
Threads	4	8
Bus rate	5 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	22 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	2460 millions	1750 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	84 W	95 W
Memory type	DDR3-1333/1600, DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.5V	DDR4-1866/2133, DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.35V
Max. Memory	32 Gb	64 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	25.6 GB/s	34.1 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	6 MB	8 MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i7-6700K is 19% better than Core i5-4460 in terms of CPU frequency. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-4460 is better: 2
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-6700K is better: 31
However, it should be understood that all the data that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i5-4460 and Intel Core i7-6700K before making a decision which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i5-4460 specs and review.

• Intel Core i7-6700K specs and review.